TL;DR: If your work email is an alphabetical jumble of confusing summaries, you’re not alone.
FWIW, if WOM doesn’t get you SME, ask WIIFM and maybe WFH for an offer.
Or simply put: If it’s worth it, if word of mouth doesn’t make you an expert in technical terms, ask “What’s in it for me?” And perhaps work on clarification from home.
TL;DR stands for “Too Long, Didn’t Read It,” but has now come to refer to a summary of a text for those who haven’t committed to reading it in its entirety.
But don’t worry if you’re confused by all the acronyms, because a new survey of 2,000 office workers found that one in five don’t know the acronyms they’re shown.
Perhaps predictably, older baby boomers were confused by the smaller size. Perhaps even more surprising is that younger Generation Z workers were just as in the dark as those over 55.
About a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds don’t understand the terms as well as the 55- to 64-year-old group. Meanwhile, only 15% of 35- to 44-year-olds were confused, compared to 41% of those 65 and older.
The most well-known acronym was W/C, which stood for “beginning of the week,” while the two least understood were WIIFM and NRN, which only three percent of people could decipher.
The survey was conducted by flexible office provider Landmark.
“We often hear and see acronyms used throughout the workplace, but the use and underlying meaning of acronyms can vary between offices, workplaces, industries and even departments,” said Sam Mardon, the company’s chief customer officer. “For the word nerds among us.” Acronyms can simplify and speed up conversation and communication “With colleagues.”
“However, others may be surrounded by unfamiliar terminology, which can inadvertently cause confusion or misunderstanding.”
More than half of survey respondents thought abbreviations could sometimes cause confusion, while almost a quarter thought they wasted time and ten percent said they made some people feel deprived. Only one in ten said that common language strengthens team spirit.
How well do you know your acronyms? Take the Sunday quiz in the mail to find out…
